The Prince of Snow
by Ria Jellyfish
Summary: Rewrite of 'The Ice King.' Inspired by Disney's Frozen. The kingdom of Hannagale's youngest son, Emil, was born with the ability to create ice and snow from his bare hands. This power may be beautiful, but it is also dangerous, not only to Emil himself, but everyone around him. His older brother, Lukas, is determined to keep his brother safe, no matter the cost. ON HIATUS.
1. Prologue

Starting a story is always difficult. Laying down everything the readers must know before jumping in is a tricky thing to get right.

So, let's not waste any more time and get to why someone might be reading this at this very moment.

A long time ago, yes we're going with that, there was a coastal kingdom in the North known as Hannagale. The kingdom was peaceful enough and it's many exports ranging from fabrics to animals to crops were enough to have other countries leave them alone.

The kingdom was ruled over by a beloved king and queen, along with two sons. The family was normal to the people, which made them relatable and thus the people were happy.

The royal family would've been happy as well... If it weren't for one tiny detail concerning their youngest son, Emil.

Now, the family hadn't believed in magic before their son was born, but Emil changed their minds quite easily. The boy was born with a unique ability to create ice and snow from thin air.

At first it was weak, but as the boy grew, so did his powers and little could be done to prevent the magic from growing out of hand. It was almost laughable, really; how a boy so small could scare so many around him.

Despite his potentially deadly powers, Emil behaved like a normal child, just like his brother three years his senior, Lukas.

To anyone who wasn't aware of the boy's powers, the boy was normal. Perfectly normal, thank you very much. The people of the kingdom believed he was normal and the king and queen saw no reason to enlighten them. They just saw their son's powers as something to ignore. Something to sweep under the rug and forget about.

They were wrong.

One night, while the moonlight was clear and the king and queen slept, Emil awoke and sat up in bed. He couldn't sleep. He never could when the sky was awake with brilliant auroras like it was that night.

He lowered himself from his bed, tiny feet lowering to the wooden floor without as much as a creak. After a quick wriggle of the tooties, the boy scurried to his door and crept into the hall, almost at the top of the mighty staircase before a throat cleared behind him.

Emil's blood froze much like the ice he could create as he turned to face whoever had spotted him, though a relieved sigh rose from him when he saw who it was.

"Lukas." He said, a smile stretching over the young prince's face. His brother, however, remained straight-faced. Lukas wasn't the type to express himself openly. Emotions? Who had time for that when you in line to the throne? Even so, Emil still managed to wrangle a smile from his cold sibling. He found it rather ironic, but if he joked about it, he knew he'd be the only one laughing.

"You're supposed to be in bed." Lukas commented drily, closing the space between them with quick, soft paces that barely made a sound over the carpet. The older boy wasn't as skilled as his younger brother at moving quietly.

"So are you!" Emil pouted. Lukas' face twitched into a tiny amused look, unnoticeable to anyone who didn't know him well. He stood tall, though barely reached the other's chin.

"Where are you going?" The older asked as he adjusted the younger's sleep shirt. It may've been the middle of the night, but no prince would wander about with messy clothing. It just wasn't proper.

"Outside."

"Outside?" Lukas rose an eyebrow.

The hallway was silent, aside from the far off breathing of sleeping parents and servants for quite some time before Lukas returned his gaze to his little brother, lifting him into a piggy-back ride. "Outside for five minutes, then we come back inside, okay?"

The smile on the boy's face could only be described as huge. "Can we build a snowman?"

Lukas chuckled softly. "Of course we can."

The boy let out a quiet cheer, as not to wake anyone, and the two made their way to the courtyard.

The tall gates and walls that separated them from the sea and kingdom, as well as the stone yard itself, were empty, but not for long. Emil was lowered to the ground and rubbed his hands together as Lukas watched with keen interest at the snow that glistened and sparkled in his hands.

"Can I?" The boy asked. A simple nod. The glowing ball of snow launched upwards into the sky, stopping just above the palace and flashing, snowing falling peacefully mere moments afterwards.

As promised, the two went outside, the two built a snowman, and the two sat in the snow. What hadn't been kept in the promise was how long the two stayed out there. The five minutes came and went, but neither went inside. They just continued to play outside for as long as they could.

Despite how much they wanted to stay out, Lukas eventually started suffering from the cold and told Emil to stop so they could get back to bed before anyone in the palace woke.

But he couldn't.

The first time it failed to stop, he was confused. The second time he was concerned. The third he was scared. The fourth he was terrified. Each time, his panic grew and grew until the ice and snow began to grow ragged and hard, no longer the peaceful and calm creation it had been previously.

The violent shivers that Lukas had been battling with only served to grow stronger, his feet feeling like blocks of lead as he made his way over to his panic-stricken sibling. He lay a hand on his shoulder, hoping that, above all else, his support would be clear. It was all he could offer and he sure as hell hoped it would help.

Emil had no clue how he finally managed to stop it snowing, but he knew he'd been hyperventilating by that point and on the verge of collapse. Lukas said nothing, simply lifting the boy into his arms and carrying him inside to his room.

The two said nothing, Emil not knowing what to say, Lukas knowing not to say a word, until they both fell asleep.

Clearly, their parents wouldn't react well to finding out that their younger son almost froze their favourite to death. Emil wasn't too happy with the notion of telling, so they didn't. It was as if they had a little secret, something normal that brother's share, but it was more than that and Emil hated it.

As the years passed, Lukas continued to hide his brother's powers to the best of his abilities. The king and queen just assumed the powers had faded away and Emil had taken to hiding in his room.

Lukas would be the only one in the entire palace to be allowed into Emil's room. The modest furnishings would almost always be covered in snow and ice, so he would rarely stay in there for long, but when he did go in, his brother would just break down and cry into his chest while the two sat on the bed in a hug.

When Emil was twelve-years-old, his powers left his control once more and he grew to fear them more than he ever had. Living in constant fear that you could kill someone with a power you can't control was something that obviously took a toll on his mental state, to the point that he started refusing to let Lukas into his room.

He spent days curled in the corner of his frozen room, often breaking into tears without anyone to help him calm down or with his elder brother sat right outside his room, listening helplessly to the boy weep.

Desperate to give him some normalcy, Lukas went into Emil's room one day with a simple gift; gloves. They prevented the ice and snow from escaping, kept it under wraps.

"If you keep it packed down, it seems to restrain it." Lukas had said as the smaller boy slipped the white fabric onto his hands. He marvelled at how the gloves stopped the cold from seeping free. Sure, his hands were cold, but they always were. It was better than accidently freezing someone.

After that day, they never left Emil's hands.

Emil finally left his room for the first time in five years, right beside his sibling, and they went outside into the warm summer air.

Outside the palace's dark walls was the only place where Emil could be happy without Lukas being right beside him constantly. It made him feel normal, like he wasn't cursed with a frozen heart, like he had a chance at being... Well, _normal_.

Outside was where Emil truly smiled. He could spend an entire day just sat by the docks, not minding that dozens of children would ask why he was wearing gloves in warm weather, just so long as he could feel heat from the sun.

While Lukas was happy to let his brother wander about in the area around the palace, any further was difficult for him to control. He'd rather his brother stay inside, as not to risk injuring anyone, but he had to accept his brother's wanderings. At least, he did until the younger was fifteen.

Things finally started regaining order when another harsh blow struck.

Their parents, the beloved king and queen, boarded a ship destined for a country to the south and never returned, winter storms leading to their demise. The service was simple, with both princes forcing themselves to remain composed until they had returned to the palace and Emil broke down, being the first time he'd cried in years.

With neither brother old enough to take the throne, the people simply had to wait. The wait would be painfully long, but if the princes were anything like their parents, the people would accept it.

Lukas, given what power he had as the destined king, set in place a move that he knew he would regret. The palace gates, which almost always remained open, were closed and locked. The staff in palace were restrained to the very basics. The contact with the outside world and people in general were limited.

Emil spend those years where he'd spend most of his time in his short life; his room, rarely letting even Lukas enter.

The elder understood it was harsh, but it was a necessary evil that he had to put in place.

He would keep his brother safe from harm. And safe from himself.

* * *

**A/N:** I'll still alive! And as promised, here's a rewrite. I've got other plans for Berwald and Tino, so don't worry, they're in this one. As for pairings... Well, I dunno, maybe just friends? I'll leave it up to you folk.

This first part hasn't been beta'd, but I'd love to have a beta reader for this story.

- Ria.


	2. One

_Three Years Later..._

The early morning sun graced the land of Hannagale with its warm rays, rousing even the most stubborn folk from their beds. The kingdom seemed to have been torn straight from a fairy tale, with spotless cobblestone pavements, tiny buildings that still held their own charm and the grand palace that the royal family, or what was left of it, called home.

The day of Prince Lukas' Coronation was finally upon them. Of course, a coronation often attracted many for an endless list of reasons. Set up trade partnerships, meet new friends, reunite with old ones, so on, so on... The coronation itself was a mere backdrop for the other activities surrounding it.  
While most of the visitors had arrived days or weeks before the actual event, some were only arriving today. The harbour was bustling, few spaces free of energy and movement.

A man, more of a boy as he'd barely graced adulthood, was wandering like a lost sheep, feet desperate to reach land, but eyes lacking the ability to actually find it. This wasn't odd; quite a few were slightly lost, but at least they could find their way to the shore.

The boy would've continued making circles if it weren't for a taller man noticing his struggles and tugging the tiny blonde boy over to dry land. The boy left out an exhausted huff, standing to the side as not to cause any more problems for the people still getting their things from their ships.

The boy glanced up to his saviour who was currently wiping his glasses. "I'll never get used to that." He said with a weak smile.

The taller man turned to his gaze to the violet-eyed companion. While he didn't smile, the sparkle in his eye was enough to let the smaller know he was amused. He returned his glasses to his face and was about to head off when the boy stopped him with the wave of a hand.

"Hold on..." He said, forcing the taller to lean down. He adjusted the other's blonde hair and smiled when things were back in order. "Perfect. Now you're presentable, Ber."

Berwald nodded in response, straightening himself up and hefting their bags back over his shoulder. The smaller boy had insisted on carrying some, but Berwald had flat out refused. There wasn't much point fighting with him.

The two started through the crowd once more, the boy remaining as close as possible as not to get lost once more. It was more difficult than he had previously thought as his gaze swept the harbour, smiling brightly at the folk who weren't particularly doing anything interesting. He was just... Excited. Yes, that was the best word.

"After this, can we go to that eastern country again?" The boy asked. "We need to start traveling like this again."

"Erya, Tino. You were thinking of Erya." Berwald commented, receiving a light smack to the back of the head.

"Shush, I knew that." Tino insisted, resulting in a rumbling chuckle from the giant of a man.

* * *

Most would expect the room of a royal to be neat and in order right to the tiniest detail, the walls and floor to be spotless, and the furniture to be the most expensive money could buy. While that may be true for some, this particular room looked... Normal. Well, relatively normal. Of course, royally was around in some form as the few exquisite items that sat on shelves and in the wardrobe.

Platinum blonde locks lay tangled on the pillow of the young prince as he dozed. He was in such a state that he was awake, but had no motivation to actually get out of bed. Emil peeked out from under the covers at the light streaming through the windows and sighed before finally kicking his legs out.

His toes touched the hardwood with a light thud, wiping the sleepy haze from his face. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the light until he finally gained the desire to stand. With his vision finally clear, he crossed the room, removing his sleep shirt as he did, before he froze in his stride.

Wait. He had his fancy suit out. That meant...

He let out a small squeal of delight and his pace vastly increased.

Despite a few ungraceful stumbles and trips as the boy dashed about in his room, he eventually managed to get the blue suit on his petite frame. He straightened himself and met his own mirrored gaze. The suit was a clinger, showing off how thin he really was. He himself had failed to notice until recently and he could only hope that Lukas wouldn't comment.

He turned to leave the room when his gaze strayed to his gloves. The aqua fabric lay on his shelf, looking sorry for themselves. After what felt like an eternity, he plucked them up and slipped them on.

Such a power should be feared, after all.

* * *

Unlike Emil's room that barely passed for a royal's, Lukas' lived up to every expectation one might have for a king-to-be's room. Even fitted with the colour scheme of royal blue. It was different to regular blue, damnit!

Lukas was always ready for anything that may crop up. His parents had often said he was just paranoid, but he just prepared himself for any situation. Why? Because he could.

But he couldn't plan on one thing; Emil.

Despite the amount of times he'd drilled into Emil to always listen to big brother, he was still a ticking time bomb. Any day now, something could go wrong and everyone would find out about his sibling's cryokinetic powers, then... Well, then what? He couldn't plan ahead that far.

Knowing how people responded to fear, he guessed they would panic. People always did that when their backs were against the wall or when confronted with something they didn't understand. Emil would be that something they didn't understand. They wouldn't stop to ask questions, they would just act. They would see him as a threat and do what they had to the erase that threat.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair in a half-hearted attempt to calm himself. He padded over to the bay window, glancing down at people who now wandered the streets or camped out outside the gates. He sighed.

_Might as well get it over with._

He lifted his cape to his shoulders, clipping it into place and adjusting his suit as not to crease it. He made his way into the hall, greeting the few servants that remained within.

"Open the gates." He ordered calmly. They nodded and went about fulfilling the request.

_Just for today, and we never have to open them again..._

* * *

Milling about is never a good plan, especially if you have the ability to control a large chunk of people. For starters, someone with that level of power would no doubt have enemies. Even so, the morning sun and crowds of people would probably discourage all but the desperate from acting.

Emil was thankful for that. He was also thankful no one had a clear memory of the appearance of the younger prince otherwise he would've been swarmed.  
The hard soles of his shoes clicked along the cobble pathways in a rhythmic pattern, the light breeze being enough to blow stray strands of hair from his face. The sea air was thick and refreshing, and the flurry of people going about their business was comforting.

Emil made his way over to the harbour, standing to the side as not to get in the way, but still close enough to the edge to get a good view of the many ships anchored about. He'd never really had an interest in ships or the ocean in general, but he guessed it was just the hustle and bustle of the coronation that made him go over there.

"Come on! We still need to get ready!"

As the young blonde turned in the direction of the shout, a mess of events transpired in mere seconds.

First, a weight ploughed into his side. Second, he fell back, struggling to keep his balance on the edge of the dock. Third, a pair of frantic hands shot out to catch him, but only managed to graze the fabric of his sleeves. Fourth, a second pair easily grasped his arms and hauled him back onto steady land. Finally, he had to stop to regain his breath and composure before he scowled and glared up at those responsible.

"What was that?!" He yelled, more in panic of what could've happened as opposed to actual anger.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! Are you hurt?" The flustered man before him stammered, face moulded into one of concern that reminded Emil of a mother who'd just seen her child trip.

The man looked young, very young, but still with enough age to prove he was no longer a boy. Blonde and average-looking all around except for soft violet eyes, the man probably wouldn't turn heads.

"I can get you something if I hurt you! I am so sorry!"

Emil finally realised that the man was still rambling. He shook his head and held up both hands. "No, no, it was my fault, I wasn't paying attention. It's okay."  
The other man sighed in relief. "Oh thank goodness... I thought I made you upset."

"You almost did, but I restrained my rage." Emil chuckled awkwardly, hoping the other would see the joke and, luckily, he did.

The two stood stiffly for a moment before the man cleared his throat. "My name is Tino. Tino Väinämöinen."

"I'm not even going to _try_ to pronounce that."

Tino laughed. "Don't worry, a lot of people have trouble with it." He finally gestured to the man who had been waiting patiently behind him. "Sorry. This is my travel partner, Berwald."

Emil had to take a second to work up enough self-control not to faint at the sight of the much taller man. He was a giant. Blonde, much like the smaller man, carrying what looked like a tonne of baggage over one shoulder, and the scariest face the younger prince had ever seen in his entire life. Maybe it was the icy blue eyes or that he seemed to be glaring, but Emil didn't fancy being left alone with him.

"H-hi." The small boy stammered, receiving only a nod in return.

"Oh, don't worry. He's like that with all new people!" Tino assured him, but it failed to offer Emil any comfort.

"Right..." The small blonde said. "Um... Well, I have to-"

"Hang on! You didn't tell us your name!" Tino insisted, eyes brimming with excitement and glee. He looked like a puppy. Emil couldn't turn down a puppy, no matter how frozen his heart was.

"... Emil."

Tino took a second to add everything up before something clicked in his head and his eyes widened. "Like... Prince Emil?" His face dissolved into panic. "Oh my God, I've only been here half an hour and I've already messed up my introduction with the prince!" He yelped, covering his face as it reddened.

"N-No! It's alright, really! I mean..." The prince rubbed his head. "At least it wasn't my brother. That would have been a mess..." An awkward laugh escaped his lips and an apologetic look crossed his face.

"Oh... But I am sorry." Tino repeated once more before bowing quickly. "So... I'll see you at the party!" He announced before smiling and waving. "Gotta go! Bye, Emil!" And with that, the small blonde and the scary giant turned and strolled away.

Emil had to wait for a minute to finally snap out of his trance and realise the time. Crap, Lukas would be waiting for him. He huffed and padded back towards the palace, his mind a mess.

_What a strange man... Friendly, but strange..._

* * *

"Where were you? I was starting to get worried."

Lukas frowned as his younger brother entered the dressing room. The room was tall, yet quaint, only holding the required furniture and nothing more. It was weakly decorated, with few items cluttering the walls or floor. The room would've been all but forgotten if it weren't for the collection of clothing and such that were assembled within.

"I went out." Emil said as he paced past his brother towards the simplistic table that sat by the window.

"Without me?" The king-to-be asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You don't need to baby me, Lukas, I'm not a child." The younger said bluntly. He glanced down to the orb and sceptre that lay ceremonially on a silk cushion. "These look heavy."

Lukas ignored the comment and went over, taking his brother's wrists and observing his hands. "Good, you wore the gloves. I thought you'd almost gone completely insane."

"I might've gone out by myself, but give me enough credit to remember the gloves." Emil rolled his eyes.

Lukas stared at him for a second before he chuckled and ruffled the shorter's hair. The two stood in silence for a moment before Emil glanced back to the table.

"So... King..."

"Yeah..."

"Feel special?"

"Not really."

Emil scoffed. "Just don't make any crazy laws up."

His sibling laughed. "Like what?"

"Like... A law to ban funny hats."

"That's disappointing. That was the first thing I was going to do. Those things are a disaster to fashion."

The two laughed for a moment before Lukas' face reverted to it's normal, expressionless self. "Keep them on. No exceptions."

"I know."

"Don't even fuss with them. We can't-"

"-risk anything. I know." Emil huffed. "Like I said, I'm not a child."

"You always will be to me."

* * *

**A/N:** This came out a lot faster than I hoped. :3

I'd like to than my wonderful Beta Reader **Dalasport** for being a lovely person and you readers should totally go tell them they're awesome because they are. :D

Anyway, next update will be... At some point.

- Ria.


	3. Two

The coronation was as short as possible. Lukas had no intention of dragging it out or making it any more complex than it had to be and was aware that some would probably just fall asleep before it ended.

The hall was tall and grand, yet had a basic feel about it. It was simple, from the walls to the floors to the ceiling to the furniture, all of it was basic. Each of the guests who could be bothered to sit through the ceremony sat on the plain wooden benches that lined each side of the large hall.

Lukas stood at the head of the hall, eyes straight and dull. His face was one of disinterest, his level of awareness wavering as he struggled to remain alert as the priest before him continued to read out the many passages and vows necessary for him to finally be crowned.

Emil wasn't fairing much better. At least Lukas had to listen to repeat the vows of loyalty to his kingdom back, and thus had a reason to listen. Emil had no reason to listen. He was just standing there awkwardly, leaning on one foot until it ached, then shifting he weight slightly to lean on the other.

He glanced over his shoulder, gaze drifting over the crowd with a sigh before glancing back to Lukas as if it would make time pass faster. Unfortunately, it didn't. He shifted on his feet once more, his hands starting to shiver.

He mentally cursed. Ice started to form in the palms of his hands like cold sweat, making him instinctively wipe his hands on his suit jacket, despite the gloves still being on his hands. The cold spell spread upwards, slowly but surely, until his entire hand was consumed by the ice. It wouldn't bother him if at least half of the bored occupants who weren't whispering to someone beside them or dozing off were staring at the younger prince who continued to shift about.

He kept his eyes forward, folding his arms and hoping the frost that had now started to advance up his wrists was going unnoticed. His breathing sped up. His heart hammered in his chest. He felt the ice start to spread faster. It was fear. Fear made him unable to control it. He could do nothing. Once it started, he couldn't stop it unless he had a chance to calm himself.

But in a crowded hall that he couldn't leave until the coronation was over, he was stuck. He curled both hands into fists, hoping to quell the rising cold and squeezed his eyes shut, hoping that it would at least slow everything down. He was so focused on that, that he didn't hear a voice speak his name until a hand touched his shoulder.

"Emil, go outside. You look like you're about to faint."

The boy glanced up so quickly that he almost accidently head-butted his brother, who now stared at him with eyes that urged him to take his leave.

The older sibling had stopped everything, just so the younger could go outside and calm the ice that crept up his arms. He nodded and straightened himself as Lukas retracted his hand.

"Just get some air, okay?" Lukas said softly as the younger padded towards the exit. He kept his gaze on the other boy until he'd left the hall before turning back to the priest.

"Continue." The king-to-be said.

* * *

The post-coronation party was vastly superior to the coronation itself in practically every conceivable way. This was clear simply by the number of people who turned up for the party in comparison to the drawn out ceremony it was celebrating.

The ballroom was alive and loud. Very loud.

No matter where you went, there were people dancing, laughing, singing horribly off key... But it was all in good fun, so why did it matter?

Lukas felt his skin crawl as his gaze passed over the many drunk or tipsy people who were gathered within the overly crowded ballroom. He and Emil stood at the head of the hall, on a slight platform compared to the rest of the room, high enough to see the whole room, but low enough to only require a few steps to get up or down, both with neutral, almost sombre expressions. Emil stared at his feet as if they were the most interesting thing in the world while Lukas kept his gaze forward with a look of distain.

There were too many people. Too many eyes that could stray their way. Too much risk in the party continuing further than necessary.

"It's warmer than I thought it would be." Emil said, breaking the awkward silence that hung between the brothers.

Lukas glanced to the smaller boy, taking a second to comprehend what he'd just said. The two had been silent up until this point, even after the coronation itself, they hadn't had a chance to talk and even if they did, they hadn't taken it.

"Yeah." Lukas said finally. "Yeah, it's... It's pretty warm."

Emil inhaled deeply and smiled. "I smell chocolate." He said, a small smile spreading over pale lips. It was forced, but it was the first time Lukas had seen him create a smile that looked even slightly real.

"Emil." Lukas said in a soft tone and the smile faded. Emil straightened his back and his face faded back into a neutral expression, a quiet apology drifting from the boy.

The king kept his gaze on the oblivious Emil who continued to watch the crowd. Something danced behind the boy's violet eyes. Something resembling longing, yearning, maybe even craving. It was restrained to the best of his ability in every other part of his body, but his eyes gave everything away. He wanted normalcy, even if only for one night.

Lukas sighed and opened his mouth to comment when another voice cut him off.

"Emil!"

The young prince perked up instantly and that small smile spread over his face once more. For the first time that evening, Emil looked genuinely happy.

"Oh, sorry, I mean..." The younger man who had approached them stuttered for second before his companion lowered his head in a bow.

"Prince Emil." He said, his voice gruff, yet something in his tone prevented him from sounding angry or malicious. Tino gave him a look, as if to say 'I knew that' as the taller man's face twitched in a smile so small even Lukas would tell the man to emote more.

"Tino, Berwald, you showed up!" Emil said as he approached the two. Tino laughed and shook his head.

"Of course we did! I said we would and I'm awful at lying, so there wouldn't be much point in doing that!" He smiled brightly.

Lukas, who had been silent up until this point, cleared his throat. Tino finally glanced to the king and a wave of panic shot through him.

"O-Oh! I'm so sorry, Your Highness! Were you and Prince Emil busy? We're so sorry for intruding-"

Lukas waved him off and glanced back to Emil. "You know them, then?" He said simply, no inflection on any of his words.

Emil nodded quickly.

"Go..." The king waved a hand in their direction. "Go, have fun." He said rather awkwardly, as if speaking another language.

The boy took a second to understand his meaning before he smiled, a real smile, and padded away with the two other men.

* * *

The three had gone outside, probably not something Lukas would've wanted, but they did so anyway. The night air was cool and the sky was cloudless, showing off millions of bright stars and an equally bright moon hanging lazily for all to see.

The trio had padded up a small embankment just a short walk from the palace. It was still in view, but the sky and harbour took up more of their sights from the grassy place of rest. They lay down in a line, staring up at the sky and talking about... Well, anything really, anything that came to mind.

Emil and Tino did most of the talking. Okay, they did all of the talking and Emil wasn't sure if that was because Berwald preferred to listen or just had nothing to say. Just as he was wondering if the giant was a selective mute, Tino sat up.

"You and Lukas seemed... Stiff. If you get what I mean." He stopped for a second and pouted. "I mean, you don't look like you wanna be next to him."

Emil frowned. "He... Doesn't like me talking to people. Probably overprotective."

"Berwald's kinda like that." Tino mused. The taller man sat up and gave him a look.

"I'm not overprotective." He said simply, as if commenting on the weather.

Without even glancing in his direction, Tino continued, "Okay, you're not overprotective. You're boring."

The tiniest of smirks crossed Berwald's features as his flicked Tino's head. "Am not."

Tino whined as if the minute action could've caused him discomfort, but a few seconds later, a giggle rose from him. Emil smiled for a moment before Tino spoke up once more.

"Hey, I wasn't going to ask but..." He shifted uncomfortably and rested back on his hands. "Why did they close the gates?"

After Emil took a few seconds to understand he was being spoken to, and another few to understand what had been said, he glanced to his hands which were folded neatly on his chest. Ice started forming in tiny crystals on his palm and he let out a breath, the air coming out in a small cloud.

Tino frowned and breathed out. When no cloud rose from his mouth, he glanced back to Emil. "Are you cold? Do you want to go inside?"

The smaller boy shook his head and sat up, hugging himself and smiling weakly. "It's fine. Really."

Tino kept his gaze on Emil, almost expectantly, until the prince finally turned to face him and Berwald.

"Can you... Keep a secret?" He said softly.

"Of course!" He smiled warmly. "Fire away!"

Emil reached for his gloves, though paused for a second just as his fingertips grazed the fabric. "You... Have to promise-"

"Emil, I'd have nothing to gain from spreading your secrets. I'm sure Ber wouldn't either." Tino said, his smile dissolving into a look of concern as the man beside him grunted in confirmation.

Emil sighed and finally tugged the gloves from his hands, taking a minute before lifting both to face upwards towards the empty blackness that was the sky. After a few moments, small crystals of snow and ice sprung upwards and the air decreased rapidly in temperature.

As Tino watched, mouth hung open like a goldfish, Emil gained more confidence and flicked his hands, a small cloud formed above their heads. Snowflakes began to fall above them and a soft winter breeze blew past them.

Eventually, Tino recovered from his state of awe. "That's amazing!" He said, as if he were a giddy child in a sweet shop. "You have a gift!"

Emil forced himself to stop, both his powers and the small smile on his face, before returning his gloves to his hands. "Lukas says it's a curse. He doesn't want me-" He stopped and restarted his sentence. "I don't want to hurt anyone, so I usually just stay in my room."

The blonde who sat before him deflated and glanced to his feet. Silence hung like a heavy duvet over the trio, making Emil shift on his hands and twiddle his thumbs. He finally stood and faced the duo.

"I'm sorry, I think I should go." He said, turning to leave, but a hand catching his arm made him freeze as much as the ice he created.

"Look..." Tino mumbled before he shook his head and started over. "Me and Berwald are going to start travelling again after the coronation. If you want... You could come with us. We might find someone with powers like yours! Or we could... Find some way to control them!" He smiled brightly. "Travelling always helps people learn and even if we can't find anything, the journey itself will be worth it!"

Emil was taken aback and could only stare blankly for what felt like an eternity. Go travelling? Absolutely absurd! It wasn't that he didn't trust them, he'd had little-to-no reason not to so far, but Lukas would never let him leave and it was doubtful he would want to tag along.

_However..._

"When do you leave?"

* * *

"Oops, sorry. Excuse me. Let me just get past you there, thanks." Emil weaved his way through the party, Tino and Berwald following a few feet away and coping easier with the crowd.

Once they reached the head of the ballroom, Emil let out an exasperated sigh. "He's gone." He said, rubbing his forehead lightly and huffing. He hadn't replaced his gloves, telling himself he could just put them back on should the ice start forming.

"Maybe he went to talk to someone? One of the ambassadors, maybe?" Tino asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"He can't have. He's too boring to talk to anyone." The prince grumbled. On the inside, however, he wasn't nearly as confident. He was starting to have second thoughts. What if Lukas blew up? What if he locked him in his room to stop him leaving? Worst case scenario, but know Lukas, he wouldn't put it past him.

"Emil!"

_Speak of the devil._

The boy glanced up to the rather flustered looking king as he took long, quick strides to cover the distance as fast as possible. His eyes were wide with something akin to relief, but frustration had taken over before it could settle.

"Where the hell were you?" Lukas hissed through clamped teeth, barely loud enough for Emil to hear.

"I was with Tino and-"

"No. I mean-" The older sibling took a steady breath, forcing himself not to explode. "Where were you?"

After a second, Emil shrugged. "Outside."

"Without me?"

A scowl crossed the boy's features. "You don't need to baby me anymore, Lukas. I'm not a little kid."

Disappointment sparked in the king's eyes, along with something Emil couldn't pin. Was it confusion? Possibly. Then his gaze fell upon the boy's hands and panic struck deep. "Emil. Put your gloves back on." He said quickly, softly, trying to mask his concern.

Back straight and eyes narrowed, Emil shook his head. "No."

Lukas narrowed his eyes. "I'm not messing about here. Put them back on. Now."

"I don't need them! I can manage without them!" Emil insisted, his volume causing a few to turn and stare.

"Emil-"

"No! I'm sick and tired of listening to you!" The boy yelled, his face scrunching into a scowl. Every pair of eyes turned to stare the drama unfolding before them. "I'm leaving anyway so you don't need to worry about me anymore-"

"What?" The king stared down at the petite child, eyes widening. Emil could practically see the panic playing behind his eyes.

"I'm leaving." He clarified. "I'm gonna go travelling with Tino and Berwald. I might-"

"No. I forbid it." Lukas snapped. "You aren't going with them."

After a pause that felt like an eternity, Emil turned and started heading towards the large twin doors that led to the courtyard.

"Where are you going?"

"I already said; I'm going travelling."

Lukas crossed the space between them in three quick, long strides and took both of his brother's arms. "Emil, listen to me."

Though Emil couldn't listen, even if he wanted to. Panic struck him deep. His heart pounded. His nerves spiked. His blood rushed in his ears, cutting off all sound for a few seconds. He froze, everything aching the same way one might from heating up too fast. Ice spread and shot from his hands before he could stop it. It hit the ground and rose in sharp columns.

People screamed. Lukas lost focus. Emil wriggled from his grasp. He ran.

* * *

"Witchcraft!" Someone yelled as Emil reached the courtyard, the overwhelming feeling of dread settling in his stomach and making him feel physically ill.

The crowd seemed to part like the Red Sea at the sight of the young prince, a trail of frost and ice forming behind him as he ran. His steps were clumsy, causing him to stumble multiple times, but still keeping the distance between himself and-

"Emil!"

Lukas' voice rang in his ears, but he didn't slow down, didn't even bat an eye, he just kept running. As he finally made it out of the courtyard, leaving behind a bewildered crowd still recovering from the magic they'd just witnessed, his lungs started to burn and a violent, choked cough erupted from his throat. He felt something akin to pain in his windpipe, but ignored it.

He finally reached the fjord and shook his head. He couldn't stay here. He'd heard what people did to witches and he was pretty sure ice magic made him a witch, at least in their eyes.

"Emil!"

It was Tino this time. He was chasing him as well? Emil shuffled back, his feet hitting the cold water, but the sensation failed to concern him, even after it overflowed into his shoes and drenched his socks. As he took another step, it failed to go through the water and he glanced down.

Ice.

Ice spread from his feet and started to shift across the water, easily overtaking surface. He took a deep breath and started running once more, ice continuing to form beneath his feet and creating his salvation.

His feet slipped occasionally, but he kept going, despite the blisters, despite the ache, despite the coughs desperate to burst from his throat that he kept down.

"Emil!"

The shout of his brother was a borderline scream, but the younger was already at the other side of the fjord and running up the mountain path, refusing to look back.

Once Emil was out of sight, Lukas tried to follow, but a pair of arms grabbed him from behind. He struggled in vain against the vice-like grip of Berwald and let out a sound somewhere between a snarl and a growl.

"What the _hell_ are you doing?! Release me at once!" He yelled, managing a strike to the large man's side, but Berwald remained stoic, as if it had never even happened. Lukas glared towards Tino. "Tell him to let me go!"

But Tino wasn't looking at them, wasn't even aware of Lukas wriggling in his companion's grasp like a fish desperate to get back to the ocean. "The fjord's freezing." He murmured in disbelief.

Lukas calmed himself enough to follow the boy's gaze and acute terror settled in his gut.

The ice, growing across the water with blue magic, was quickly overtaking the entire fjord, no space left untouched as the boats were frozen in place and the cold settled. Snow started to fall and the entire area fell into a cold haze.

* * *

"Snow? But it's July!"

"It's so cold..."

"The prince has cursed us!"

Lukas tried his best to ignore the comments of the crowd as he waded his way through, Tino and Berwald following behind him.

"But you can't go out alone!" Tino insisted, arms hugging himself as his teeth chattered.

Lukas whirled on him, eyes narrowing. "Look, you and your friend there are the only people I can leave in charge. If Emil has the gall to trust you to take him around the world, I'll have to trust you to take care of the kingdom for a couple of days at the most."

Tino, after a few moments of hesitation, nodded. "But perhaps someone should go with you." He said as a servant brought over a horse, a lightly coloured fjord horse that stood straight and proud.

"He'll panic if he sees a group approaching him." Lukas said stiffly, climbing up onto the horse. He glanced up to the crowd. "I leave these two in charge until I return with Prince Emil." He announced, gesturing to Tino and Berwald as he did so.

"But what if you get hurt?" Tino asked, eyes wide with concern. Lukas gave him a look.

"I won't." He said simply. With that, he set the horse off with a steady trot, waiting until he was outside the courtyard before starting off the gallop and vanished into the cold night.

* * *

**A/N:** This is a long chapter. 0.o Well, long for me.

Again, **Dalasport** beta'd, so thank you very much for that. :3

I'm going down south for two weeks, but there's wi-fi so I _might_ be able to get another chapter out, but no promises.

- Ria.


	4. Three

Every few steps he slipped, but kept running. His lungs were burning and pleading him to slow down, but he continued anyway. His legs ached and almost gave out several times, but he refused to stop.

Emil wiped his face as hot tears attempted to escape. He _wasn't_ crying. Of course he wasn't. Don't be absurd. Only the weak cry and he wasn't weak.

_Except you lost control of your powers. Well done._

He wiped his face once more, telling himself it was just because of the bitter wind that had swept up the small mountain pass. His feet protested to the point that he finally slowed to a steady walk.

Everything finally sunk in. Lukas' look of disappointment, his own frustration boiling over, arguments that Emil had played out hundreds of times not preparing him for a real one, the ice spreading and finally shooting forth from his hands, and running, his footprints all gone by the time anyone tried to follow him. He looked up to the grey sky and a strange feeling washed over him.

_Relief._

It was sharp and strong, hitting him like a truck. He smiled. A wide, bright, warm smile, conflicting with the surrounding air.

Out here, he had no responsibilities, no worries, no one to impress, no one to disappoint. It was just him. A small, ecstatic laugh left him, falling back in the snow and continuing to smile. He lifted a hand, flicking a small spark of snow from his hands and smiling as it spiralled into the sky.

He rolled over and pushed up onto his tired feet, suddenly alive again with new found energy. He started walking ahead at a steady pace, enjoying how the snow that launching from his reddening hands started so simply and slowly turned into more and more complex patterns, streaking across the sky elegantly like an oil painting.

Soon enough, he'd reached a clear, flat section of the mountain path and, after some careful mental debating, crouched. He could only hope that his intentions would work out and, much to his surprise and delight, it did.

Ice weaved away from his palms, creating a large, rough circle to form beneath him. Once it had spread as far as he'd wished it to, it started to spread upward, forming walls that spun towards the sky until they'd reached a suitable height and began on the ceiling.

After a few more moments, the only sounds being that of the howling wind and the crackling of ice spreading, Emil's creation stood in it's full glory. A tall yet modest castle, one someone may see in a fairy tale. It was sparse, but would serve it's purpose as a place of rest.

He smiled, bright and proud, before whirling on his heel and tapping the soggy slush from his shoes. Ice slipped from his hands and easily overtook the fabric of his suit and decorated it with many curls and sparks of frost. He glanced down at his work and smiled once more.

Yes, he'd like being free.

* * *

Lukas was beginning to wish Emil had tropical powers instead of ice. Clean sand and warm rays of sun would've been much nicer than snow and freezing winds that cut through him like a knife. Even the horse was starting to get fed up.

He'd covered a rather large amount of distance in the three hours he'd been out there, yelling Emil's names at mentally determined intervals. Each time, he got only silence in return. The horse was starting to tire and his throat started to ache so he started look for people. A town, a hut, a road, anything.

The king sighed as he finally reached a trail, covered in slush and marks from sleds. He slipped down from the horse, about to venture up the slope when a sound somewhere between a yelp and a laugh caught him off guard. He turned and immediately regretted it.

Snow and sludge splashed up and hit him, making him instantly shiver and shriek. Though it wasn't feminine shriek, he told himself.

He glanced in the direction of the sled that had just destroyed any and all dignity he still had and scowled. "Hey! Watch where you're going, idiot!" He yelled, that being the only thing he could manage in the heat of the moment as he wiped the already melting snow from his sleeves.

"Shit, sorry, I didn't see ya there."

Lukas looked up towards the source of the voice, scowl still strong on his face. Before him stood a man, slightly taller than himself, with spiky blonde hair that seemed to defy gravity and large blue eyes that gave away the man's amusement at the state of Lukas. He was dressed modestly, cheaply.

"What?" The king snapped and the man finally lost it, bursting into a fit of giggles.

"Sorry, sorry," He wiped the tears that had formed in his eyes and sighed. "It's just, you look a mess."

"I never would've guessed."

"And your horse ran off."

Lukas glanced back in alarm and, just as the man had said, his horse was nowhere to be seen. He groaned in defeat.

"Today's crap, huh? First an eternal winter, now this." The man smiled.

The king narrowed his eyes into a glare. "I'll need a lift then." He said simply. The two had a silent stare off until the man finally spoke.

"Oh, you meant you wanted a free one?"

"Well, why not? I'm your king, aren't I?!"

The man stared down at him before he started laughing again. "Look, I don't care if you're the ruler of the universe, I don't ferry people. So I need payment."

"You must be kidding!"

"I'm not. Pay up." The man held out a hand, his face deadly serious. Lukas sighed.

"How much and where to?"

The man pondered for a moment before he spoke. "Forty and I'll take up to the Trading Post, but after that, you're on your own unless you can pay more."

"Forty?!" Lukas felt his jaw drop open. "No, twenty."

"Who's the one stuck out in the middle of nowhere?"

Lukas glared, his gaze colder than the snow around them. After a few moments, the man spoke once more.

"Thirty. I won't go lower than that."

Lukas shoved a hand into his pocket, tugged out thirty and dropped it into the other man's waiting hands. "I've been robbed." He said, expression deadpanned.

"Thank you, Your Highness. Your chariot awaits." He said, waving an arm towards the sled with a lazy grin.

"It's gonna stink of piss, isn't it?" Lukas scowled. The man held up two hands defensively.

"Hey, I clean my sled every week."

Lukas rolled his eyes and followed the man to his 'chariot.' The sled was modest in every sense of the word, built for only one person with a bit of elbow room out of simple, cheap wood. Despite this, it was sturdy looking, enough so that Lukas was fine climbing in. Dogs sat about at the front, ready and waiting to drag it away. Each hound looked the same, but Lukas imagined that if you were around them long enough you'd start to recognize differences.

The driver hopped in beside him, the two forced to press their sides together so neither would fall off. "Hold on tight, Your Highness." A grin formed on the man's face. Lukas scowled.

"Just get moving." He demanded. The man snorted.

"Fine, fine, God, aren't you bossy?"

Before Lukas could respond, the sled slid up to full speed in only a few moments, the dogs working in sync to tug it along. Lukas folded his arms, stuffing his pink fingers under his armpits to keep them warm. He shifted to have some space between himself and the driver.

"Well?"

"Hm?" The man rose an eyebrow and looked at the king with slight confusion mixed with something the royal couldn't place.

"What's your name?"

The man paused for a moment before he realised the question was aimed at him and grinned. "Mathias." He said proudly, as if it were a great achievement. "I'm guessing you want to be called 'Your Highness?'"

Lukas gave him a look. "Given the circumstances I don't think it's completely necessary." He said finally. The snow splashed up the sled, landing in the floor and in the two men's boots.

"Fine, Lukas," He said, the name sounding alien coming from Mathias, "what made the prince go all ice crazy?"

After a quick glare, Lukas sighed. "He was being... Irrational." He stopped for a second to glance to the driver, judging his response, before continuing. "He was asking to go traveling with people he'd just met and I said no, so he freaked out and-"

"Well of course he did." Mathias butted in. "He's a teenager who's been cooped up in a palace for three, four years." He gave the king a look. "You could've just gone with him, struck up trades and stuff with the leaders of countries you visited."

"Absolutely not! There was too much risk of this exact thing happening. And besides, who are you to tell me how to rule my country?"

Mathias stared at him for a moment before turning back to the trail ahead. "Someone with better ideas."

"You're barely getting thirty, don't get it down to twenty-five."

"For what? Telling you the truth?" The blonde man narrowed his eyes. "Sounds like you've been spoilt, Lukas."

"Shut up."

"No, you need someone to hammer logic into your thick skull."

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"If that's how you interpret it."

Lukas' scowl returned. "How dare you-"

"We're here."

Lukas glanced up and his eyes met a small log cabin, some rising from the chimney and light blazing from the windows. A sign hung above the door. 'Trading Post and Sauna.'

"I bet you've got a tonne of saunas in your palace, huh Your Highness?" Mathias laughed, the sack that had been strapped to the back of the sled now over one shoulder.

"No." Lukas answered simply. He reached into his pockets for the money when Mathias shook his head.

"Once we're inside. I can't take it like this."

* * *

The warm air of the Trading Post was a welcome change from the wind so frigid that Lukas felt his hair freeze to his scalp. The two men made their way inside, closing the door after them and stomping the snow from their legs.

"Unless you're here to spend money, get out."

Behind the counter, sat a man and a young girl. The relation was quite clear as both seemed to share the same blonde, messy hair that landed just past the chin and green eyes. The man's was harsher, similar to the bitter cold outside, while the girl's was soft with youth, though she was clearly not naïve despite her looks. Lukas could see it in her face.

"I'm here to hand over stock." Mathias said, approaching the two with that sack of his. He dumped it in front of the desk, stretching out his back as he did so. "That should be enough for the pickaxe, and the rope"

The man circled the counter and opened the sack. Lukas glanced their way and rose an eyebrow when he saw the contents; Potatoes. Honestly, it was rather anti-climactic.

"Just the rope." The man said as he stood.

"What? Ludwig said you gave him a sled for this much! Come on Vash, have a heart."

The man, Vash, scowled and shook his head. "Still just the rope. But if you hand over the sled and keep the potatoes, you can get both."

"What if I give you both and you can take the dogs back to Lud?"

"We can give you some winter clothes." The girl said. "You both look freezing."

"We are." Lukas said bluntly.

Vash huffed. "The potatoes, the sled, and forty for the rope, the pickaxe, and winter clothes for both of you."

Mathias scowled in thought and was about to respond, probably with 'no' when Lukas spoke.

"Deal." He took forty from his pocket and placed it on the counter, giving Mathias a glare cold enough to freeze the sun.

"Fine."

* * *

The girl, Lukas had found out her name was Lili, had spent what felt like an hour trying to find trousers, boots, and coats that would fit the two men while Vash watched from the counter, not even trying to hide his look of disapproval of two grown men being so close to his sibling.

Eventually, they managed to get clothing that fit. The coats were thick and left them boiling in the already warm building, the boots were thick, easily a much better pick than the soaked shoes they were previously wearing, and the trousers were tucked into their socks, equally hot as the rest of their clothing from being by the fire.

The two traded the sled, potatoes, and money, much to Mathias' dismay, and paced outside into the cold. The snow had finally stopped streaming from the sky and their feet sunk into the soft, freezing blanket.

The blonde padded through the snow for a few minutes before he heard the crunching of heavier feet behind him. He growled to himself.

"Why are you following me?" Lukas said after a few minutes more, turning to face the taller man, having to strain his neck slightly to meet his eyes.

"You'll die out here on your own."

"You don't know that."

"I'd rather not be the last person to see the king alive. Might rise some odd questions."

After a few moments, the royal shook his head. "I don't have any more on me. I used it all to pay for these." Lukas huffed, holding his arms up to show off the coat.

"Then... How about..." Mathias frowned. "The crown." He finally managed, waving to the headgear.

"What?"

"As payment, you can give me the crown."

"That's outrageous! I can't give you this!" Lukas yelled, as if Mathias had just suggested he take off his clothes and run about naked.

"Well then, what else can you give me?"

"I'm not fond of where this is going."

"What do you-" Mathias suddenly hit realisation. "Oh, no, no, no! Not sex. You must be kidding."

"Excuse me, what do you mean 'you must be kidding?'"

"Oh, so you do want sex?"

"I can't win with you, can I?"

"I try."

Lukas narrowed his gaze and, after a few moments of difficult silence between the two, he folded his arms and glanced away. "If you can help me find my brother, I'll give you the crown to sell off, or whatever you'll do with it."

Mathias grinned and tugged a glove off. "Shake on it?"

Lukas stared at the outstretched hand before removing his own glove and shaking the other's hand, quickly pulling away once he was done and replaced the glove. "Your hand is sweaty." He complained. The taller laughed.

"Sorry, _Your Highness_."

"Don't patronise me."

Mathias laughed and clapped the smaller man on the shoulder, a grin spreading from ear to ear. "We'll head up north, up the mountains. Get a better view."

"How long will that take?" The king asked as he removed the other man from the physical contact.

"A day?"

"What?!" Lukas scowled. "We can't be wasting time on things like that!"

"Do you have a better plan?"

Lukas glanced to his feet and exhaled softly, a small cloud rising from his lips. "Fine. But it better amount to something."

"Yes, _Your Highness_."

Lukas was beginning to wonder if leaving this bastard alive was a good idea or not. Maybe he could bring back executions...

* * *

When Tino had suggested they visit Hannagale for the coronation, Berwald could honestly say he hadn't expected half of what had happened thus far.

While his companion rushed about, trying to get the ballroom kitted out as a place of shelter for the people, the giant traced behind him, assisting in moving the stubborn ones to the warmth. Tino had wrapped up in so many layers that Berwald was surprised the smaller blonde could still move his arms. Then again, Tino could manage many things that people wouldn't think he was capable of.

"Excuse me,"

The two men glanced in the direction of the voice and met the eyes of a brown-haired man from some Germanic country to the south. Berwald forgot which and didn't really care. The man before them adjusted square glasses on the tip of his nose, scowl of distain heavy on his face, violet eyes narrowing in what appeared to be boredom.

"Urh, Tino, was it?"

"Yes, how can I help you, sir?" Tino smiled brightly. "Though it must be quick, I had things I need to do!" He added, far too cheerful for the situation.

"Why are you shamelessly giving away valuable exports such as these?" He gestured the rather expensive cloths the boy had been giving to citizens to use as blankets. "And to make things worse, you give them away without charging even a little for them?"

Tino frowned in confusion. "I don't see why I should. I'm just taking care of people who are cold and tired."

"King Lukas has been gone merely a day and you are already wasting his trust. What will he think when he returns?"

"Well hopefully he'll see that I was just making sure people were okay. You know, you shouldn't butt in on how people do things. If I were you I would-"

Despite Tino claiming to have things to do, he started to ramble. The man in front of him seemed to have no way to interrupt or escape as the boy just continued to talk, not even pausing for breath. Berwald was sure that the man's eardrums were giving up when a distraction finally caused Tino to stop. The sound of hooves and they were approaching quickly.

"There, King Lukas is coming back. We'll see how he feels about having a heart." Tino announced, though as he turned his gut dropped.

The horse that had just entered the courtyard was the king's, but the royal was nowhere to be seen.

As a stable hand ran to calm the creature, Tino's gaze fell to his feet. His brain buzzed with plans and plots before he shoved the cloths piled up in his arms to the brown-haired man. "You take them, then." He said before padded into the centre of the courtyard.

"What the hell if he doing?" The man grumbled. "You should really control him." He glanced up to Berwald, but the glare he got in return made him crumble.

"He does as he pleases." The giant said simply, his voice gruff as usual. The blonde paced off after his companion like a loyal hound.

"Excuse me!" Tino yelled, gaining only a few gazes on his first shout. "Excuse me!" He yelled again, this time getting most of the crowd to look his way. "I need a search party to find King Lukas and Prince Emil. Any help would be valued!" His voice started to strain. Shouting was hard work. Though thankfully for him, people started raising their hands to volunteer.

If they were lucky, they would find the royals in a few hours. If they weren't, they might find corpses.

* * *

**A/N: **Yeah, I could've finished this chapter sooner, but I am a lazy piece of shit.

Anyway, I'm probably going to be rewriting other stories and school is starting so don't expect the next chapter for a while. I'm sorry. D:

My beta reader has stayed the same and they did a lovely job as always.

- Ria.


End file.
